Pig kidneys transplanted into brain-dead human donor in new study
CTV
For the first time, scientists have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into the body of a brain-dead human, an important step toward animal organs potentially becoming viable for transplants to save human lives in the future, something that could help address organ shortages worldwide.
On Thursday, researchers with the University of Alabama (UAB) published the first peer-reviewed study to document this process in depth.
The pig kidneys were taken from pigs that had been genetically modified with 10 key gene edits in order to make the kidneys capable of being transplanted into a human body.
After transplantation, researchers confirmed that the kidneys were not rejected and were able to filter blood and produce urine for the three days of the study.
"This game-changing moment in the history of medicine represents a paradigm shift and a major milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, which is arguably the best solution to the organ shortage crisis," Jayme Locke, director of the Comprehensive Transplant Institute in UAB's Department of Surgery and lead surgeon for the study, said in a press release.
